Fascinating Incidents in the life of Ibn Taymiyya

[WM]

I thought of making a thread of the really interesting stuff not usually mentioned in English-language biographies of Ibn Taymiyya. I culled it from the chronology of his life published in Michot's Muslims under non-Muslim Rule. Enjoy!

N.B. Ibn Taymiyya was born in 1263 CE [661 AH].

1300/699 [beginning of April/end of Rajab]: The Mongols having quit Damascus and the authority of the sultan re-restablished there, Ibn Taymiyya and his companions lead an anti-debauchery campaign in the brothels and taverns.

1302/701 [June/Shawwal]: Ibn Taymiyya plays an active role in the inquiry into, and the rejection of, the demand for exemption from the poll-tax- the exemption having been introduced in Damascus by some Jews claiming descent from the former Jewish settlers of Khaybar expelled by the Prophet [sal Allahu `alayhi wa sallam]. Several Jews of Damascus convert to Islam in this period- on occasion under the influence of Ibn Taymiyya, as is the case with the physician Ibn al-Muhadhdhib (d. 1315/715). Some jealous persons accuse Ibn Taymiyya of himself carrying out the sanctions and penalties of the Law, as also of shaving the heads of children. He confounds these detractors.

1302/702 [December/Rabi' II]: Ibn Taymiyya s accused, in an anonymous letter addressed to al-Afram, the governor of Damascus, of maintaining relations with the Tatars and plotting a coup d'etat in Syria. The official inquiry discovers the authors of the calumny and completely exonerates Ibn Taymiyya.

1311/711 [16th November/4th Rajab]: While praying alone in al-Hakim Mosque, Ibn Taymiyya is beaten up by a group of people. Found by his companions and the people of the al-Husayn quarter [of Cairo], he has to work strenuously to persuade them not to massacre his assailants and destroy their houses [this sort of thing happened a lot with him, rahimahullah]. Returning the same afternoon to pray in al-Hakim Mosque, he preaches until the evening and wins over a party of his enemies.

1311/711 [end of Novemeber/beginning of Rajab]: Ibn Taymiyya is assaulted by the Shaf`i shaykh Nur al-Din al-Bakri (d. 1324/724), the very same whom he attacks firecely on the subject of the worship of saints in his book Kitab al-Istighatha, also titled al-Radd `ala al-Bakri [not the Mojo, lol]. Al-Bakri wishes to drag him before the tribunal but then soon disappears into the crowd. A near riot ensues; Ibn Taymiyya has to prevent his supporters from taking revenge on al-Bakri.

1317/717: Ibn Taymiyya is consulted by the Bedouin emir Muhanna b. `Isa, recently returned from the Tatar to the Mamluk camp. The sultan also consults Ibn Taymiyya- about the goods taken by the same Muhanna b. `Isa at the time of his victory over the Shi`i emir al-Dalaqnadi (who was allied to the pro-Shi`i and pro-Mongol emir of Makka, Humayda) just before his (Muhanna's) return from the Mongols' side. The goods are to be the price of his rehabilitation in Cairo.

[My personal favourite] 1326/726 [25th February/21st Rabi' I]: At the occasion of the public execution of the atheist Nasir al-Din b. al-Sharaf b. al-Haythi, Ibn Taymiyya detaches himself from the crowd and goes to strike the condemned man with his hand.

[Asad'Allah]

Alhamdullilah. Jazak'Allah khair. Insha,Allah, we will get the details from him in Jannah.

I 2nd the personal favorite

[Pluma]

Man, I am very serious when I say that no ash'ari could be compared to Ibn Taymiyya. He's incredible.

May we have details about the conversion of jews? It's interesting.

[Abdullah11]

do have a reference for this bro WM

[Abu Zahra Al Soomaalee]

Nurudin Bakri is he anyway related to Omar Al Bakri, of the Muhajiruun???

[WM]

Nurudin Bakri is he anyway related to Omar Al Bakri, of the Muhajiruun???

al-Radd `ala al-Bakri [not the Mojo, lol]

I guess you were being facetious...

[WM]

do have a reference for this bro WM

The reference was already given (Michot's book). Michot himself used:

...the works of the great Ibn Taymiyya scholar, Henri Laoust...I have also added various historical or bibliographical facts and corrected the dating of them. I have also drawn on information from the excellent articles of Hasan Q. MURAD and Sherman JACKSON...A recent work by Caterina BORI (Ibn Taymiyya: una vita esemplare...opens up new perspectives.

[hshad]

I thought of making a thread of the really interesting stuff not usually mentioned in English-language biographies of Ibn Taymiyya.

What are the titles of some of the biographies of Ibn Taymiyyah in English?

[junaid123]

What are the titles of some of the biographies of Ibn Taymiyyah in English?

Havent read personally, but i assume this one handles with his biography:

Shaikh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, Life and Achievements (Sayyed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi)